CarinaJo

Hi all! A while ago I bought a 10 gallon tank with red cherry shrimp and live plants. About two weeks later a friend gave me some of her baby guppies. Maybe one week ago, I saw ONE baby snail. I came home from work today to find more than 12 of them in there!! (I think the larger ones are trying to eat the smaller ones.) So that's problem #1. Problem #2: One of my poor baby guppies has developed a white spot on its tail! The others are too quick for me to see if they are also spotty. I have ick meds but I know that if i just drop them in the tank, it'll kill the shrimp AND the snails. I don't have access to a quarantine tank yet (cycling my 25 gallon @ work to free up the 5 gallon in the back of my classroom). I like the shrimp and the guppies but these snails.... they're just gross! and I already have two at work!!

Please advise me!!

kra-z-fishmumm

Well for ICH you can increase the tank temp. to 80-82 degrees, keep it there for at least two weeks, you should see improvement then( I know the guppies can handle it, I don't know about snails or shrimp).

Cherrry123

Those snails are most likely pond snails, which some people, like me, dislike them. I personly would crush them now before you get 500000 like I had at one time.

SereneReyn

the only snails i'd wanna keep are MTS's... debbie's right tho, temp is the best way to cure ick... if your shrimp can handle it.

CarinaJo

I read in someone else's thread that they crushed them. The only problem with that is I am the person who can't even kill a spider without breaking down into tears. I know, I know: total wuss. Thanks but..... Any other tips?

SereneReyn

my problem would be more along the lines of the 'ew' factor. i mean, i'm supposed to what, crush them with my fingers? i don't think so... "honey, can you come here a sec?..."

Cherrry123

If you have a smaller tank, you could put a dwarf puffer in there, and then when the snails are gone, put it in the smaller tank. That's what I did, only with a spotted puffer.

SereneReyn

some loaches eat snails too, i think... angelicus or maybe other botias? not sure.

Cherrry123

Yeah! Some loaches, kuhli(sp?) I think eat snails too, not to sure.

CarinaJo

I'd be willing to add a loach or a dwarf puffer. Which one is least likely to harass the guppies or the shrimp? Or, for that matter, which one could I keep in the tank after the problem has abated?

Cherrry123

The loaches then, dwarf puffers need a tank to themselves due to aggression.

Cherrry123

Lol, I wacked the snails with the net. I can't use my fingers !

CarinaJo

I might be willing to flail around in the tank with the net, but I left BOTH of them at work!! One last question: The loach is okay with guppies & shrimp in a 10 gallon tank, without a companion?

Cherrry123

Loaches don't school, but do best in groups of 3 or more, I think. Not sure.

mychl717

3 is the absolute minimum for the loaches, check to see if the dwarf loaches eat snails... I think they do since their snouts are pointy...

I would think they're the only ones you could have in a 10G....

Unless you would move them later to a bigger tank after the snails are gone...

Maybe you can move your shrimp, and then treat the ich, those meds would kill the snails too....

GL

voiceless_kat

I have those icky little snails as well, must have come in on plants. I was squeamish at first, but now, I just squish the ones( that are on the glass near the top of the tank) against the side of the glass.

Another good way to catch them is to put a piece of lettuce or zuchinni or c uke on a clip and into the tank, and the little creeps will all gather on it. Then just pull the veg out - covered with snails.

Val

randysr1

I have 4 Apple snails and they are working the tank well. As far as getting rid of the ICK, I have used AP PRO(TM) and had very good results when I followed the directions.
I took my snails out and put them in a "Gold Fish" bowl and did the treatment. I had forgot about the ghost shrimp and to my surprise they survived after the treatment for the ICK.
If you are wanting to get rid of the snails, why not do an ICK treatment and leave the snails in there?
Anyone else know if this will work?

Cherrry123

Yeah, I've never had any luck with ghost shrimp, someone in my tank, *cough* spotted puffer, ate them, I don't know if I would personaly take them out of the tank for the ick treatment because they are so fast.

CarinaJo

Yeah, that's the only problem! I don't foresee myself being able to catch all of the shrimp. Also, if I take the guppies out, how do i treat the actual TANK? From what I read, ich hangs around on things and in crevices. I would actually want to leave the gupps in and treat them but I have no idea how to remove the shrimp. What if I DO get the shrimp out, could they be carrying the ich with them? Geez, I'm so confused

randysr1

I left my shrimp in and they did not die, but I am not an expert. I am just letting you know what I did that worked for me.
Buy some ICK med and follow the directions. I do not believe it will harm the guppies as mine did not die either.
As far as the shrimp carrying the ICK out of the tank, I would think they wouldn't, but then again, I left mine in.
After every thing was done, I put in salt for aquariums and haven't had an outbreak for over a month now.
Let me know how things go.

fishgirl

I have clown loaches and gold dojo loaches, both loaches get pretty big though. and they LOVE snails...I even have a 5.5G tank that I raise snails for my loaches.